Family Ties
by Palexiot
Summary: Marco asks Paige for a favor. But how will Alex react? Palex focus with Darco mentions Rated K for now, may up it later.Disclaimer in summary: I own nothing.
1. The Request

**A/N: I know this short but it's what I have so far. This has been kicking around in my head for awhile now so I thought I'd go ahead and write it. Enjoy! Cut and Paste reply at the end.**

"Um... no. No Marco that completely pins the weirdness meter." Paige Michalchuk looked at her best friend and brother-in-law Marco Del Rossi and rolled her eyes at his pleading expression.

"Paige please. This is really important to Dylan and me. We want a family." Marco leaned his head against Paige's shoulder as he tried to convince her to do him this huge favor.

"Then adopt. There are tons of children who need homes out there. This is of course assuming you get to them before Brangelina does anyway." That last bit was a lighthearted dig at Marco's obsession with the famous couple.

"It's not like we don't think we'll ever adopt a child, we just want one of our own. A baby that has both of our chromosomes and family traits."

This discussion had been going on for over an hour and so far Paige didn't even seem remotely about to budge. Marco couldn't understand it, he knew it was asking a lot but still...

"Paige sweetie, I know it's strange but will you at least think about it?"

"Marco, you're asking me to let you fertilize one of my eggs and be an incubator for your baby. I just don't know if I can do that." Paige had dropped her firm attitude and instead was just being honest with him.

At his crestfallen look Paige reached over and took his hand in hers. She let out a gentle sigh and leaned closer to him.

"I'll think about it Marco, I need to talk to Alex about it, but I will give it some serious thought before I say no for sure ok."

Marco sat up quickly and engulfed the blonde in a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you Paige."

"Calm yourself Del Rossi, I haven't said yes and I might not either." Paige replied with all seriousness.

The young man nodded his head enthusiastically. "I know Paige, but the fact that you're thinking about it at all... well it means a lot to me and it will mean a lot to Dylan too."

"I know Marco, I suppose that's why I'm even considering it enough to bring it up to Alex." Paige got up from the table and walked over to the refrigerator. Just as she opened the door to peruse the contents the front door slammed and a feminine voice called out,

"Paige! Baby, I'm home."

Paige could feel herself blushing as she saw Marco regarding her with a smirk.

"I'm in the kitchen with Marco Hon." She called back.

"Well you were in the kitchen with Marco, but Marco needs to head back home."

"Coward." Paige shot at him as she grabbed a dish towel and threw it at him.

"Not really, but I think you two need to be alone for this." Marco said with a smile as he backed up. Right into a grinning raven haired woman.

"Sorry Alex, I'd love to stay and talk but I have to get going." And with that the two women were left in their kitchen.

"Alone huh? Why do we need to be alone? You planning on seducing me Michalchuk?" Alex asked her girlfriend while wrapping her in an embrace.

"Uh... not right now Hon. Ummm... right now I need to talk to you about something."

Alex pulled back in concern at the tone of Paige's voice.

"Baby, everything all right?" She asked as she gently moved a lock of hair out of Paige's eyes.

"Yeah, yeah everything's fine. Umm... it's just that Marco came over to ask me something important and it's something that I think you and I both need to make the decision about." Paige led Alex over to the table noting the irony of having this conversation a second time in the exact same spot.

"Ok, so what did your little bro-in-law want? A kidney? Has he decided that he's not gay anymore and wants to have a threesome? Or-"

"He wants to have a baby." Paige blurted out.

Alex sat stunned for a moment before chuckling to herself.

"But Paige, sweetie doesn't Marco realize boys can't do that together?"

Paige rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's deliberate obtuseness.

"Yes he realizes that, that's why he asked me to be the mother."

TBC...

**Reply (cut and paste): OMG! That is weird, but how cute baby Darco maybe. I wonder what Alex's reaction will be.**


	2. Flashbacks and Future Plans

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. It was murder trying to get it just right. Enjoy... and I'm leaving it up to you for the reply for now... One of the first few that I get will be the next cut and paste so be creative and give me something you won't get sick of reading in the replies section.**

**  
I own nothing.**

_  
Two Years Earlier_

_  
Alex stood in front of the mirror, her hands fiddling with the hem of her top. She smoothed the fabric down and regarded herself carefully._

_White. Why did the damned thing have to be white?_

_She sighed and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ea. A movement behind her in the mirror caught her attention. _

_Paige. Alex's mouth went dry at the sight of her. Long, blonde hair cascading in loose curls past her shoulders. The black strapless dress she wore contrasting perfectly against her skin. Alex kept staring, openly admiring her girlfriend._

"_You are so incredibly beautiful."_

_She hadn't meant to speak aloud but she meant every word. Bright blue eyes met her rich, dark ones and a silent smile passed between them. Paige walked over to her and wrapped her arms around Alex's waist dropping a kiss on her cheek._

"_You're the one that looks amazing. White really suits you."_

_Alex rolled her eyes with another sigh as she turned in Paige's embrace._

"_Why did __**I**__ have to be the one wearing white?" She complained not for the first time._

"_Alex, Marco wanted to wear white and as you're the one standing up for him today that means you have to wear white too."_

_Alex brushed her fingers along Paige's cheek and leaned in for a chaste kiss._

"_But you're the one that should be wearing white, not me." Paige huffed a little as she rested her forehead against Alex's._

"_Why Alex? Why is white good enough for me but not you?"_

_She was preparing herself for a stupid remark about how much girlier white was and how Alex's badass image was compromised by wearing such a lame color. What she wasn't prepared for though was Alex's actual answer._

"_Because all angels are supposed to wear white aren't they?"_

_All the more reason for you to be wearing it then Miss Nunez." Paige whispered giving her lover a sweet kiss._

"_You'll never let me get in the last word will you?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow._

_She smiled inwardly as she thought about all the kids they used to go to high school with . They all thought Paige was shallow and vain, but not once in all the time Alex had known her had she received a compliment that she didn't turn back around on the giver._

_The two women stood with their foreheads resting together and their arms wrapped tightly around one another. They were at peace and wanted to stay that way. Both women were thinking about the events that had led up to this point._

_Alex felt Paige stiffen and knew instinctively that she was thinking about the day they got the phone call about Dylan's accident. It was a devastating bus wreck that shattered Dylan's left knee leaving him incapable of playing hockey again. For awhile Dylan had gone through a deep depression and it had taken so much out of all of them to help him recover. But with their love and support and countless hours of physical therapy, Dylan was up and moving again. He had come out of his depression with a new outlook on things. He decided it was time to settle down and had proposed to Marco._

_The settlement from the accident had been sizable and would allow Dylan to be free to pursue other things with little or no care about finances whatsoever and it had allowed him to pay for this lavish wedding. But it still wasn't enough to keep the small bit of sadness from his eyes that he could no longer participate in the sport he loved so much._

_Alex ran a soothing hand down Paige's back and felt Paige arch against her a bit as goosebumps rose up on her skin. Tightening her grip on the blonde Alex whispered gentle words in her ear determined to bring her back from her worries and remind her that they were here to celebrate the future, not mourn the past._

_Their moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat nearby. Alex lifted her head from Paige's shoulder and saw Dylan standing there looking handsome in his black tuxedo. He held his bright, multi-colored bow tie, another insistence of Marco's, in his hands and looked expectantly at his little sister. Paige had turned around in the circle of Alex's arms when her brother entered the room and she smiled as she saw his predicament._

"_Need some help big bro?" She asked pulling gently away from Alex._

"_If you would be so kind little sis." Dylan smirked at her affectionately._

_Alex watched as Paige carefully fitted the tie around Dylan's neck and began the process of tying it. Alex found herself smiling gently at the interaction between the siblings. They might fight and tease each other but Alex knew that there wasn't anything that Dylan wouldn't do for his baby sister and vice versa._

_Paige finished tying the tie and pulled back smoothing her hands down Dylan's lapels as her eyes filled with tears. She smiled a watery smile and Dylan lifted his hand to catch the lone tear that escaped and fell from Paige's lashes. He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead._

"_I'm so happy for you Dylan. I just – I." She stopped unable to fully express herself or her joy for her brother's happiness._

"_I know Paigey. I know." He looked over at Alex and back at Paige; a question in his eyes. "So tell me little sister, when am I going to get my sister-in-law?"_

_Paige blushed and thumped her brother on the chest playfully. He smiled down at her and transferred his smile to Alex as she came up and wound her arms around Paige's waist again._

"_How about you Alex? You ready to join the Michalchuk clan yet?" He asked with a glint in his eyes._

"_Dylan-" Paige began to protest but Alex interrupted her._

"_Not yet Dylan, we both have a lot left to do. But don't worry, we're getting there."_

_Before anymore could be exchanged between the trio Dmitri Michalchuk walked in the room with a smile on his face._

"_Come on son. It's time to go down now."_

_They all headed downstairs and out to the yard where the ceremony was being held. Alex went to join Marco on his side of the altar as Paige took her place behind and to the left of Dylan. The men had decided that they would approach the altar from both sides and meet in the middle. The music started and the two grooms stepped up to their respective places and clasped hands once they were face to face._

_The ceremony was short with Dylan and Marco writing their own vows. It was beautiful as they stood in front of everyone they cared about and offered promises of devotion and thanksgiving to one another for what they had already received. _

_Alex peeked at Paige and saw her wiping her eyes discreetly. Someday Alex knew she'd be standing with Paige like this. She had no doubts whatsoever. Just as she had affirmed that to herself Paige looked over at her and they locked eyes. At the exact moment that their eyes met they both knew the other one was thinking about their time, their future together. But for now, today was about Marco and Dylan and they would celebrate the union with all the joy and happiness an occasion like this called for._

Present Day

Alex sat stunned as she took in Paige's words to her.

"Marco and Dylan want a baby and they want you to be the surrogate?" She mumbled not quite able to grasp what was going on.

"Yeah, I told him I'd think about it but that really I had to talk about it with you." Paige laid her hand on Alex's and regarded her carefully.

"Paige, it's your body. If this is something you want to do then go for it."

Paige sighed, slightly irritated that Alex was refusing to give her input into a situation that would affect all of them.

"Alex, I'm not talking about getting a tattoo or a nose ring. I'm talking about carrying a baby for my brother and his husband."

Alex let off a sigh herself and ran her hands through her dark hair. She looked at Paige and tried to decipher what answer she should give. Never had she even considered something like this so to try and come up with a decision was rather difficult. And was made even more so when another thought occurred to her.

"Paige, if you did do this, do you think you'd be able to give up a baby that you'd carried? I mean I know you'd still be in its life as its aunt, but would that be enough for you?"

Paige turned her head to the side and stared hard at the table. Her fingers gently tracing some scar marks on the surface.

"I hadn't really thought about it Alex. I'm still trying to decide if I'm even ready be a mother at all, in _any_ capacity. To be honest I've never really given much thought to motherhood. I mean kids are great, but I don't know. I never tried to picture myself that way."

Alex rested her hand on the back of Paige's neck and gently massaged the muscles there. She added a small amount of pressure to let Paige know she wanted her attention. When Paige looked up she spoke again.

"Paige, I don't know what to say about this. Really I don't. And I know it's a big decision, huge in fact, but really all I can say is that I am here for you no matter what you decide. I want you to do what you feel is right and we'll go from there."

Paige got up from her chair and sat down on Alex's lap wrapping her arms around the brunette's shoulders.

"I guess I just need some time to think about it. Like you said, it's a huge decision and I have even more to think about now that you brought up whether I could give up my child even if it was to Dylan and Marco."

They sat quietly at the kitchen table as they held each other and contemplated their newfound circumstances. After about a half hour Paige finally spoke again.

"Would you really be ok with it if I did decide to do this?"

"It would be an adjustment for sure, but yeah I'd support you completely."

Paige nuzzled her nose to Alex's and smiled softly.

"And I don't know if this'll matter or not," Alex looked up at Paige and the blonde caught the impish gleam in her eyes.

"What?" Paige asked suspiciously.

"Oh nothing. It's just I've heard that pregnant sex is pretty hot."

Paige burst out laughing and Alex soon joined her. The sound of their laughter filling the house and their hearts as it always did. After a few moments of shared mirth Paige calmed down and looked at Alex seriously.

"All sex with you is pretty hot." Was followed by a passionate kiss that left them breathless yet wanting more.

"Yeah, well how 'bout we go upstairs and you can bask in my hotness?" Alex whispered seductively.

Paige got up and grabbed Alex's hands in both of hers. Without another thought the two women took off up the stairs to their room. They still had a lot of thinking to do and an important decision to make, but right now they decided it was just best to let it be and the right choice would come to them when it was the right time.

TBC...

**Congratulations addidasfitgreat your reply is the winner in the cut and past reply contest. "**Awesome chapter! Loved how you didn't rush it with Alex's answer about the baby."


	3. Research and Rejection

Paige lay awake, her eyes scanning the darkness as though the shadows of her room could give her any answers regarding her decision on whether or not to be Marco and Dylan's surrogate. She felt Alex shift slightly behind her and then she was still again. Soft breath moved the hairs on the back of Paige's neck and Paige smiled. She knew whatever she decided Alex would be right there with her. But was it fair to throw her into such a crazy situation? It was one thing if Paige had a baby that was _theirs_. Then it would seem more reasonable to force Alex to deal with a pregnancy and all that it entailed.

But how could she deny Marco and Dylan the chance to be fathers? Something both obviously wanted very badly especially if they were coming to Paige. And to force them to go through a surrogate, some strange woman they didn't know, wasn't that a little selfish?

The blonde turned over onto her other side and regarded her lover while she slept. She looked so peaceful and she made Paige feel so safe and loved. Smiling again Paige leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Alex's brow watching as Alex shifted in her sleep again. Her arms tightened around Paige's waist drawing her even closer. The soft light of dawn began peeking through the blinds on the window just behind Alex's shoulder and Paige heaved a heavy sigh. She knew she was going to be exhausted today. After all she was catering a huge wedding reception for the Wilkinson's at 2 and then a Bat Mitzvah for the Kramer's daughter at 7:30.

That was another thing to consider. Her catering business. Paige had worked hard over the last year and half to build a good reputation for herself as a business woman and a caterer. She had established a diverse clientele with a wide range of party needs and they respected her for her professionalism and her keen sense of style when planning an event. What would happen to all of that if she decided to be a surrogate? She'd have to cut back her hours drastically just to alleviate stress enough to make getting pregnant even feasible. And then she'd have to cut back even more once she did get pregnant to ensure the health and well being of herself and the baby. If she mentioned that to Alex she knew that the other woman would jump on it. She was forever worrying about the stress and the long hours Paige put in but Paige was in her element at last. For the first time in as long as Paige could remember she was right where she needed to be in life. Could she really tilt all of that off its axis to give her brother and best friend the family they wanted?

And who's to say Paige would even _get_ pregnant? She didn't know if she was fertile or not. It's not as though it was something had thought to get tested for. And what exactly would in vitro even entail for her?

Paige deftly maneuvered herself out of Alex's arms without waking her. If she couldn't get all of her questions answered at least she could look into getting the answer to one of them. She padded out of the bedroom and to her office down the hall. Flipping on the light she was greeted with a stack of recipes she still had to go over for the reception menu. Luckily she had already put together the one for the Bat Mitzvah. She ignored her work for the moment and sat down at her laptop. She turned off the screensaver and opened her internet browser. Clicking on the bookmark for a search engine she typed in _in vitro fertilization techniques._

She scanned each result that came up and found a website that mentioned _in vitro fertilization_ as well as _intracervical_ and _intrauterine insemination. _ She skimmed the article gleaning the important information.

'_In vitro fertilization, let's see. Marco and I would each be evaluated and I would be tested for fertility. Ok, so that answers that question. Ok, now let's see.' _

"_Depending on the type of treatment protocol, you will likely be prescribed medications to down-regulate the pituitary gland allowing the ovaries to be stimulated to form follicles without interference. Follicles refer to the sacs in which the egg (oocyte) develops. Medications, generally in the form of inject-" '_

_Injections?! Needles?! Nobody told me this would involve needles. Ok Paige just calm down. One or two needles is not a big thing.' _

"_injections are given to increase the number of follicles that form, to maximize the oocyte (egg) yield in your treatment cycle."_

Paige paused to mull this over. There was quite a bit more information than she realized.

_'Alright. Let's see what else does it say?' _

"_Your treatment cycle will be followed closely by blood hormone levels and ultrasound measurements of follicular size. At the appropriate time, the egg retrieval process is scheduled and this is done using an ultrasound-_guided"

Her eyes widened as she took in the rest of the sentence. "_needle __puncture__ as an outpatient." _

_'Puncture__? Not just a needle, but a needle__** puncture?**__! What am I, a tire?'_

She stopped reading again and took a few deep cleansing breaths to calm down. When her nerves were less shaky she resumed her reading.

"_You will be given medications through an intravenous line to make the process as comfortable as possible. Your partner is welcome to be present in the procedure room to support you." _

_'My partner huh? Do they mean Marco or Alex?' _

"_You will also get an opportunity to see the oocytes on a monitor as they are isolated from the retrieval process._

_Fertilization of the egg is the next step in forming embryos. This is done in the laboratory simply by adding sperm to a culture dish containing the eggs retrieved. Alternatively, your doctor may recommend a procedure called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) which involves the direct injection of a single sperm into an individual egg._

_The embryo is then allowed to divide in the laboratory and the best embryo(s) are selected for transfer back into the uterus 3 to 5 days after your oocyte retrieval. Your doctor will discus with you the recommended time for transferring the embryo (day 3 versus day 5) and also the number of embryos for transfer. Prior to embryo transfer, your doctor may also recommend a procedure called Assisted Hatching"_

Juvenile as it was Paige couldn't help but snicker at the word Hatching. It made her think of chickens.

"_which involves using laser to create a small opening in the zona pellucida surrounding the embryo in order to assist the embryo in implanting." _

_'Did I just see the word LASER in there? A laser. What. The. Hell? First with needles and punctures and now a laser? Good God, what's next? Oh. A catheter. That's lovely, just lovely.' _

"_The embryo transfer process is performed as an outpatient procedure without any need for analgesia. This is done by ultrasound guidance using a catheter placed through the cervix into the uterus. Your partner is once again welcome to be present during the procedure to provide you with support._

_You will be given instructions on progesterone medications following the transfer process. A blood test to detect the pregnancy hormone will be scheduled 2 weeks after your embryo transfer date. If the blood test is positive, we will schedule an ultrasound to assess the early pregnancy approximately 4 weeks later. _

_You will be given the choice to freeze (cryopreserve) any viable extra embryos for further embryo transfer opportunities at a later time. Frozen embryos can be stored successfully for many years and allow couples to initiate another attempt at pregnancy without the need to undergo another ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval process."_

"Now why wouldn't _anyone _ just be dying to do that all over again?" Paige muttered under her breath.

She sighed and pulled up the information about _intracervical insemination._

"_Intracervical insemination (ICI) is one of the oldest artificial insemination procedures, dating back as far as the 1880s. In the procedure, sperm taken either from the woman's partner or from a donor is placed into the cervix by means of a catheter. From there, the sperm travels up the uterus and into the fallopian tubes, fertilizing the egg. Sometimes a removable sponge is placed into the vagina to keep the sperm near the cervix. ICI is less expensive and somewhat less effective than intrauterine insemination, as the sperm is placed farther away from the fallopian tubes."_

_'Ok, so it's somewhat less effective, hmmm. Let's see what intrauterine insemination calls for.'_

_Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is very similar to intracervical insemination except that the sperm is deposited in the uterus rather than the cervix, making it one step closer to the fallopian tubes. This technique provides the advantage of requiring less travel by the sperm to reach their target and helps to produce higher success rates. IUI is the most common form of AI performed today. Aside from minor cramping, the risks of intrauterine insemination include disease transmission from improperly screened semen, ovarian hyperstimulation,"_

Unsure of what "ovarian hyperstimulation" was Paige clicked on the word as it linked to another page of information.

"_This is the most serious complication of IVF. Any patient undergoing ovulation induction is at risk of developing OHSS, although some more than others. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may be classified as mild, moderate or severe by symptoms and signs. the worst cases seem tends to be associated with pregnancy. Severe OHSS is a life threatening complication following ovarian stimulation._

_The symptoms usually begin 4-5 days after the egg collection. The majority of women have a mild or moderate form of the syndrome and invariably resolve within a few days unless pregnancy occurs, that may delay recovery. Patient may complain of pain, a bloated feeling and mild abdominal swelling. In a small proportion of women, the degree of discomfort can be quite pronounced._

_In some cases cysts appear in the ovaries (ovarian cysts) and fluid may collect in the abdominal cavity causing discomfort._

_Very rarely the ovarian hyperstimulation is severe and the ovaries are very swollen. The woman will feel ill, with nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain. Fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity and chest, causing abdominal swelling and shortness of breath. Reduction in the amount of urine produced. These complications require urgent hospital admission to restore the fluid and electrolyte balance, monitor progress, control pain and in some very serious cases, termination of pregnancy. Complications associated with severe OHHS include blood clotting disorders, kidney damage and twisted ovary (ovarian torsion)."_

"Oh God." Paige said as she sat back in her chair. She wiped her hand across her forehead and was less than surprised to find that she was sweating. There were obviously a lot of complications that could develop with this. Sucking in a large breath she held it for a moment and then released. Paige did this several times until she could no longer feel her heart pounding in her temple. Bracing herself she leaned forward to finish the rest of the information.

"_and multiple pregnancies." 'Multiple pregnancies? What am I going to birth a litter here?'_

"_The first step of the IUI procedure is to keep track of the woman's fertility cycle and plan the procedure for the exact time that she will be ovulating. The woman is also placed on fertility medication in an effort to help her produce multiple eggs. After abstaining from ejaculating for two to five days, the male provides a semen specimen, either at his home or at the clinic, on the morning of the procedure. The specimen undergoes sperm processing (also called "sperm washing"), a process in which the sperm cells are separated from the other material in the semen, yielding a more concentrated and effective sample. _

_A very thin, soft, and flexible catheter is used to transfer the concentrated sperm into the vagina, through the cervix, and into the uterus. As the sperm sample is concentrated and highly motile, the sperm stand a greater chance of successfully traveling to the fallopian tubes and fertilizing an egg. The entire IUI procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour."_

With shaking hands Paige reached over and closed down the browser. She leaned heavily against the back of her chair and felt her eyes fill. She couldn't do this. There was so much that could go wrong. And that was assuming that she was even fertile or that she was healthy enough to carry a baby to term. She wanted to give this to Dylan and Marco, but she just couldn't see herself going through all that knowing what the risks were. She wiped away tears that continued to glide down her cheeks she jumped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"Paige, you alright?" Alex asked softly.

The brunette gasped and sank to her knees filled with concern when she saw Paige was crying.

"Sweetie what is it? What's wrong?" She asked as she brushed strands of Paige's hair off of her face.

"I can't do it Alex. I just, I just can't. There's all this risk and the sacrifices you and I would have to make in our own lives. I want them to have this chance but I can't do it." Paige hiccuped as she leaned into Alex and buried her head in the other woman's shoulder.

"It's ok. It's ok Paige. Marco and Dylan will understand. We'll figure out something ok? Just calm down, everything's going to be alright." Alex whispered into Paige's ear knowing that Paige hated herself right now for what she viewed as selfishness and cowardice that would prevent her from doing something so important for her brother and his husband.

Alex helped Paige out of the chair and guided her out of the office and back down the hall to their bedroom. She walked over to the bed supporting Paige around the shoulders. Gently she lowered Paige down on to the bed and made her lie down.

"Did you get _any_ sleep at all last night?" Alex asked taking in the haggard look on Paige's face.

Paige shook her head as tears continued to fall.

"But it doesn't matter." She said sitting back up and sniffing hard scrubbing at her face with her sleeve. "I have to get everything ready for the reception this afternoon. And I have the Bat Mitzvah tonight."

Alex shook her head and forced Paige to lie down again.

"No, you need to rest. It's not even 7:30 and already you're beyond stressed. There's no way I'm letting you run around trying to set up a party for someone else. Brody can take care of things today for the reception and later if you feel up to it you can take care of the Bat Mitzvah. But if you're still not up to it I want you to have the other take care of that too."

"But-" Paige protested feebly.

"No buts. You are staying in bed today and getting some rest. I'll be right back." Alex strode out of the room and Paige could hear her going downstairs. It didn't take her long to return and she had brought a mug of tea along with her. She handed it gently to Paige.

"Drink this and then try to get some sleep." She ordered as Paige sat up and took the mug.

Paige sipped the tea carefully allowing the warmth to seep into her body. Up until then she hadn't realized she was shivering. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and Alex arm rested on top pulling Paige close to her.

"Don't you have to get ready for work?" Paige asked turning towards Alex.

Alex shook her head skimming a kiss across Paige's cheek.

"I called in today while I was downstairs making tea. I also called Brody to have him take care of both events today." She held up a hand when Paige made to protest. "Forget it Paige. I'm here to take care of you today and you're going to rest. That's it no more argument. Now finish your tea."

Paige sighed softly and leaned further into the warmth and support Alex was offering her. Once her tea was gone she set the empty mug on the bedside table and allowed Alex to move her until she was laying down again. She tried to turn over on her left side so Alex could spoon her but instead Alex nudged her over on to her right so they were facing each other. A brief kiss met her lips and then her head was pillowed against Alex's chest. Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her even closer. Soon a hand was stroking through blonde locks lulling her to sleep.

As her eyelids started to get heavier she leaned in and kissed Alex softly.

"I love you." She whispered and soon her exhaustion caught up with her and she fell into a peaceful slumber.

TBC...

Information on IVF I got from Mount Sanai's website.

Info on ovarian hyperstimulation came from IVF-infertility dot (.)com

Article on intrauterine and intracervical insemination came from Docshop dot(.) com


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